National Heart Month: 10 Simple Strategies for just better.® Cardiovascular Health

February is National Heart Month, making it the perfect time to focus on simple, sustainable ways to support cardiovascular health. Supporting heart health comes down to the small, intentional choices you make each day. Check out our top ten strategies to keep your ticker in top shape. 

Plan Nutrient-Dense Meals and Snacks 

A well-balanced diet provides the foundation for heart health, ensuring your body gets the nutrients it needs to support circulation, maintain healthy cholesterol levels, and regulate blood pressure. Choosing whole, nutrient-dense foods at every meal can make a meaningful impact over time.

Prioritize Whole Unprocessed Foods: Fill your plate with a variety of colorful vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. These provide essential fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that support cardiovascular function.

Select High-Quality Proteins: Incorporate lean proteins such as poultry, fish, tofu, or legumes to help maintain muscle health and metabolic balance. Plant-based protein sources like beans and lentils also contribute beneficial fiber.

Include Heart-Healthy Fats: Nuts, seeds, and avocados provide unsaturated fats that help maintain healthy cholesterol levels. Cooking with avocado oil can also be a heart-friendly choice.

Make Smart Snack Choices: When hunger strikes between meals, opt for nutrient-dense options like raw veggies with hummus, a handful of almonds, or Greek yogurt with berries. These options fuel your body while avoiding unnecessary additives. 

A little planning goes a long way—keeping heart-smart foods on hand makes it easier to fuel your body and stay consistent with healthy choices.  

Hydrate Well 

Water plays a vital role in keeping your heart functioning at its best. Proper hydration supports healthy blood flow, helps regulate blood pressure, and keeps your metabolism working efficiently. Even mild dehydration can make your heart work harder, so drinking water consistently throughout the day is key.

In addition to water, herbal teas, mineral water, and water-rich foods like cucumbers, melons, and leafy greens can help support hydration. 

Limit Ultra-Processed Foods

Ultra-processed foods—like packaged snacks, sugary cereals, and fast food—often contain refined grains, added sugars, unhealthy fats, and preservatives that disrupt metabolic balance. These ingredients can contribute to chronic inflammation, insulin resistance, and elevated cholesterol levels, all of which put added strain on the cardiovascular system.

Excess sodium and artificial additives in processed foods can also contribute to high blood pressure, making it harder for the heart to function efficiently. Meanwhile, the lack of fiber and essential nutrients in these foods can lead to blood sugar spikes and crashes, further increasing cardiovascular risk.

Shifting toward whole, minimally processed foods—such as fresh vegetables, fruits, lean proteins, and healthy fats—provides the nutrients your body needs to maintain heart health. While it’s not about eliminating processed foods entirely, making more intentional choices can support long-term cardiovascular well-being.

Get Enough Healthy Fats

Healthy fats play a crucial role in cardiovascular health by supporting proper blood flow, reducing inflammation, and helping to maintain balanced cholesterol levels. Omega-3 fatty acids, found in fatty fish, walnuts, and flaxseeds, have been shown to help lower triglycerides, reduce arterial stiffness, and support overall heart function.

Monounsaturated fats, found in avocados, olive oil, and nuts, can help maintain healthy cholesterol levels by reducing LDL (bad) cholesterol while supporting HDL (good) cholesterol. These fats also contribute to better cell function and help regulate inflammation, both of which are important for heart health.

Incorporating a variety of these heart-supportive fats into your meals can help keep your cardiovascular system strong and resilient. 

Be Mindful of Sodium Intake

Too much sodium can lead to water retention, increased blood volume, and higher blood pressure—factors that put added strain on the heart. Processed and restaurant foods are the biggest culprits, often containing excessive sodium levels that go unnoticed. 

Cooking at home, reading labels, and choosing fresh ingredients can help maintain healthy blood pressure levels. 

Prioritize Potassium-Rich Foods

Potassium helps balance sodium levels by promoting its excretion and relaxing blood vessels, supporting healthy circulation and reducing strain on the heart. Foods like avocados, leafy greens, bananas, and sweet potatoes are excellent sources that contribute to cardiovascular health. 

Support a Gut-Healthy Lifestyle

Your gut and heart are more connected than you might think. A well-balanced gut microbiome plays a key role in cholesterol metabolism, inflammation regulation, and overall cardiovascular function. Certain gut bacteria help break down dietary fiber into beneficial compounds like short-chain fatty acids, which support healthy cholesterol levels and reduce inflammation—two critical factors in heart health.

An imbalanced gut, on the other hand, can contribute to chronic inflammation and metabolic issues that strain the cardiovascular system. Research suggests that harmful gut bacteria may even influence the development of arterial plaque and high blood pressure.

Supporting gut health with fiber-rich foods, fermented foods, and prebiotics nurtures beneficial bacteria that promote a heart-healthy balance. A strong gut foundation can mean better cholesterol regulation, lower inflammation, and improved heart function.

Maintain Balanced Blood Sugars

Blood sugar fluctuations don’t just impact energy levels—they also affect heart health. When glucose levels spike after consuming refined carbohydrates or sugary foods, the body releases a surge of insulin to bring them back down. Over time, frequent spikes and crashes can contribute to insulin resistance, a condition that increases inflammation, raises blood pressure, and disrupts cholesterol balance—all of which strain the cardiovascular system. 

Keeping blood sugar stable supports healthier arteries, reduces oxidative stress, and helps maintain balanced cholesterol levels. Instead of rapid highs and lows, steady glucose levels promote better circulation and lower the risk of plaque buildup.

Simple steps like choosing fiber-rich carbohydrates, avoiding excessive refined sugars, and eating meals at consistent intervals help keep blood sugar in check—supporting not just metabolic health, but a strong heart as well. 

Stay Active Throughout the Day 

If a structured workout feels like too much, start with Movement Snacks—quick, no-pressure ways to keep your body moving throughout the day. March in place while brushing your teeth, do calf raises while washing dishes, or take the stairs instead of the elevator. Even a few minutes of stretching or a quick dance break counts! 

As these small bursts become second nature, look for ways to add more. A short walk after meals, a few bodyweight exercises during a break, or stretching before bed all add up. The key is to start where you are and keep moving forward! 💚

Prioritize High-Quality Sleep  

Restful, high-quality sleep is vital for heart health, as it allows the body to regulate blood pressure, repair tissues, and balance key hormones that influence metabolism. 

Poor or inconsistent sleep can lead to higher levels of cortisol and other stress hormones, which contribute to inflammation and increase the risk of high blood pressure and insulin resistance.

Chronic sleep deprivation has also been linked to an increased risk of heart disease, as it disrupts the body’s ability to manage stress, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels. 

Establishing a consistent sleep routine, limiting screen time before bed, and creating a restful sleep environment all support cardiovascular health.  

A Heart-Healthy Lifestyle

Your heart works for you every second of the day—keep showing up for it. It doesn’t ask for perfection, just consistency. The choices you make, big and small, shape its strength and resilience in the future. Trust in the process, listen to what your body needs, and keep moving forward—living just better.® every day.